I had a purebred standard dachshund that lived to be 29, just a couple months shy of 30. She probably would've made it to 30 if she hadn't fell in and drowned in our pool. She probably fell in from weak legs due to her age.

She was neutered very young in her life, around the age of 5. She ate only dry dog food from Pedigree. And she was a small breed of dog. I'm not sure if those factors helped with her longevity. She was a happy, healthy, and active dog until about a year before she drowned. Then she became tired, and only liked walking instead of running, as she usually liked to do.

I would think that my dog was the exception rather than the rule. But maybe how it is raised can give any dog, purebred or mixed, large or small, a few more years than what is considered the average lifespan of each breed of dog. Considering most people think that living up to 15 years is the most they can hope for for their dogs, there might be many more dogs like mine, that lived almost until they were 30, so no one knows for sure how long any particular breed will live.

I hope the next dog I get will be able to live as long, but I had no idea that it was uncommon for a dog to live as long as mine had. It makes me wary to get another dog, knowing that it might not be around as long.

Anecdotal evidence aside. On average size is the strongest correlation to longevity in dogs. About 12-15 lb dogs live longest. This is lean body weight. Less popular breeds have less genetic baggage. Avoid odd shapes like pugs. Shelties have very nice personalities. Chihuahuas don't live that long but they are so annoying that it may seem like forever.

Depending on breed, some dogs live on average eight years while others have gone well over 20. We wanted to offer insight into the longest living dog breed, followed by a number of other breeds that have been known to live long and healthy lives.As of today, “Bluey”, an Australian Cattle Dog holds the record for being the oldest living dog, having reached 29 years and 5 months. Obviously, this is not what you would expect even from breeds known to live long but it shows that with proper care, dogs can live very long lives.The thing is that even for breeds that live shorter lives, a proper diet, regular exercise, and overall care could stretch the years out. A perfect example is the Chihuahua. On average, this breed lives 13 years but many Chihuahuas have lived to 15, 17, and even 22 years.The goal would be to choose high quality food made with real meat opposed to pet food products that contain mostly fillers. In addition, daily walks of 30 minutes or more support a healthy heart. Then keeping a dog current on required vaccinations would help fight off illnesses that kill.Because there are so many variances regarding how long dogs can live, professionals in the veterinarian world continue to conduct research. Over the years, a tremendous amount of insight has been gained as to why some breeds live longer than others but new information is being discovered all the time.